H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Panel to frame water policy
Shimla, November 23
Accepting the suggestion of the Magsaysay Award winner, Mr Rajendera Singh, the Himachal Pradesh Government had decided to set up a committee for preparing a separate water policy for the state.

Firm accused of illicit felling
Kulu, November 23
Mr Satya Prakash Thakur, a former minister and Congress spokesman, has alleged that Malana Power Company has violated the Forest Conservation Act and orders of the Supreme Court by felling trees illegally in connivance with political leaders of the state.

Kangra shouldn’t pin hopes on govt: Cong
Dharamsala, November 23
The Kangra DCC chief, Mr M.R. Goma, today said with empty coffers all that the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, would give to the people of Kangra during the coming winter move, would be a trail of promises and foundation stones of projects without monetary provision.

HP school board notification
Hamirpur, November 23
The HP Board of School Education has issued a notification working all failed and compartment candidates to submit their admission forms for the annual examinations scheduled to be held in March, 2002, without late fee up to December 12 and with a late fee of Rs 515 days before the commencement of the examinations at the board office.

Uses of atomic energy highlighted
Chamba, November 23
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has nurtured nuclear technology in the country to a state of self-reliance which has contributed immensely to the overall development of society.

Panel to frame water policy
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 23
Accepting the suggestion of the Magsaysay Award winner, Mr Rajendera Singh, the Himachal Pradesh Government had decided to set up a committee for preparing a separate water policy for the state.

The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, today told newsmen here that the committee will consist of official and non-official members. Mr Rajendra Singh called on Mr Dhumal yesterday and they discussed various issues related to problem of water.

Mr Dhumal said the difficulties of the Himalayan states were identical and he had already raised the issue of separate policies for these states in the Inter-State Council meeting.

He said the state government had already taken steps for the revival of the traditional water sources in various areas and had sanctioned money to the Deputy Commissioners for this purpose. Steps were also being taken for rain water harvesting to raise the ground water level.

Mr Dhumal said the Central Ministry of Rural Development had doubled the grant to Himachal Pradesh under the Prime Minister’s road development scheme to Rs 120 crore from Rs 60 crore for the current year. The letter enhancing the grant was received here yesterday. He thanked the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Rural Development Minister, Mr Vankaiah Naidu, for the gesture.

He said the chairman of the Nabard, Mr Yogesh Nanda, had accepted the proposal that the bank would finance all such viable schemes which are prepared by the panchayats. Irrigation schemes will be formulated through the Nabard funds in those areas where the beneficiaries would pay user charges for the facility.

The Chief Minister said the longer roads would be constructed with funds being received from the Centre under the Prime Minister’s road development scheme, while the others will be constructed with the grants from the Nabard.

He said Nabard had also accepted the proposal to fund construction of additional rooms in middle and senior secondary schools in a phased manner from next year when the ongoing Sarswati Bal Yojna for the primary schools was completed.

Firm accused of illicit felling
Our Correspondent

Kulu, November 23
Mr Satya Prakash Thakur, a former minister and Congress spokesman, has alleged that Malana Power Company has violated the Forest Conservation Act and orders of the Supreme Court by felling trees illegally in connivance with political leaders of the state.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, he demanded a CBI inquiry into the involvement of political leaders and officials of the company into the illicit felling of trees.

Mr Thakur alleged that the company had played havoc with the environment to receive the benefits announced by the government to complete the project before schedule.

Contrary to the claims of the Forest Department that the trees had been cut without permission, the general manager of the company, Mr V.P.S. Chauhan, said 1108 trees were identified for felling and the company was given written permission to fell the same. Mr Chauhan said 923 trees had been cut and the company has deposited Rs 41.85 lakh as “catchment area treatment plan compensatory afforestation cost” and Rs 65 lakh as the cost of the trees with the Forest Department.

However, the Divisional Forest Officer, Mr A.C. Sharma, said no permission has been granted by the department in this regard. He said 990 trees had been cut and 325 others had been damaged.

Mr Sharma said the company had been fined Rs 61,46,333 under the Forest Conservation Act and given two days time to pay the amount.

Kangra shouldn’t pin hopes on govt: Cong
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 23
The Kangra DCC chief, Mr M.R. Goma, today said with empty coffers all that the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, would give to the people of Kangra during the coming winter move, would be a trail of promises and foundation stones of projects without monetary provision.

Addressing a press conference here today, he said the promises made by the Chief Minister during the previous winter move were still incomplete and all that he would now do was to give hollow assurances to the people of Kangra.

Mr Goma said till now all that the BJP government had done was to “inaugurate” projects started by the Congress regime and take credit for the development work. “What is most surprising is the fact that foundation stones of projects worth crores are laid while there is hardly any budgetary allocation for them,” he quipped.

Mr Goma lashed out at the government for reducing the staff in various health institutions in villages. “The government is reducing the staff in primary health centres with no indoor patient facility, but why should the common man suffer and be denied proper medical services,” he said.

He added that the Congress apprehended that the government would impose user charges even in rural health institutions, burdening the poor.

Mr Goma criticised the Centre for bringing in POTO as he felt that this was being done to use it as a political weapon to settle a score with opponents and muffle the voice of the media. “We fear, that as was the case with MISA and TADA, even POTO will be misused to falsely implicate innocent people,” he said.

To a question about the controversy over the “forged” appointment to Mr Arun Bisht as Kangra DCC vice-president, Mr Goma refused to make any comments stating that the disciplinary committees denying or confirming the appointment of Mr Bisht, the DCC chief said the competent authority would take a decision in this regard and he had given his explanation.

Mr Goma said there was no factionalism in the Congress.

HP school board notification
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, November 23
The HP Board of School Education has issued a notification working all failed and compartment candidates to submit their admission forms for the annual examinations scheduled to be held in March, 2002, without late fee up to December 12 and with a late fee of Rs 515 days before the commencement of the examinations at the board office. No admission form will be accepted thereafter.

A board spokesman said here today that students whose plus one results were declared on November 20, could submit their application forms along with a fee of Rs 150 and Rs 100, for re-evaluation out re-checking of answersheets respectively, up to December 19.

For the re-checking of answersheets, the application could be submitted with a late fee of Rs 50 up to January 3,2002. No form for re-evaluation / re-checking would be entertained after the expiry of the last date, he added.

Uses of atomic energy highlighted
Our Correspondent

Chamba, November 23
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has nurtured nuclear technology in the country to a state of self-reliance which has contributed immensely to the overall development of society.

This was the general view expressed by scientists on the first day of a two-day seminar on “Peaceful uses of atomic energy” organised by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in collaboration with the Department of Atomic Energy here today.

In his keynote address, Dr S.K. Malhotra of the DAE claimed that nuclear technology developed indigenously was a commercial success. He said today nuclear application could be found in almost every social and economic sector and virtually in every corner of the globe.

Dr Malhotra said the application of radiation technology to healthcare was alleviating the miseries of the people, improving crop varieties to boost agricultural output and contributing to food security of the country.

Dispelling doubts about nuclear power, Dr Malhotra explained in detail the deep-rooted public concerns such as nuclear weapons proliferation, nuclear reactors, etc and underscored the need for viewing nuclear energy in a wider perspective keeping in mind its advantages.

Dr R.P. Garg, Dr R.N. Pandey, Dr Ramesh Chander from the Babha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Mr P.S. Guleria, Coordinator of the SCERT, were also present on the occasion.

HRTC employees strike work
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 23
Bus passengers were stranded as HRTC employees observed a four-hour strike in the state today in support of their demands.

Bus services remained paralysed and passengers faced inconvenience. The HRTC employees joint action committee leader, Mr Ashok Purohit, announced that a 24-hour strike would be observed on December 7 if their demands were not met. He claimed that the strike was complete and work was boycotted in the workshops.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the state government has claimed that buses plied normally and there was hardly any response to the strike call.

1 killed, 3 hurt in road mishap
Our Correspondent

Mandi, November 23
One person was killed and three were injured when a loaded truck fell into a 500-foot gorge, about 25 km from here, on the Slappar-Khurahal road last night. Four persons — Bhuri Singh, Balak Ram, Jagdish and Ram Lal — were travelling in the truck. The driver reportedly lost control over the truck and it fell into the gorge. Jagdish of Khurahal village was seriously injured and referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The condition of other injured persons was stated to be stable. A case has been registered.

Army recruitment camp concludes
Our Correspondent

Kumarhatti, November 23
The four-day Army recruitment camp concluded at Salaria Ground, Subathu, 19 km from here, yesterday. As many as 6,000 youths from the districts of Sirmaur, Solan, Shimla and Kinnaur took part in the camp. Hundred youths were selected for further screening.

The concluding day was reserved for the recruitment of youths from Kinnaur district. On first three days, youths from Sirmaur, Solan, and Shimla districts participated.